1990 Ferrari Mondial t

The Mondial was launched at the 1980 Geneva Auto Salon and represented Ferrari's first departure from its traditional three-digit naming schemes. The name 'Mondial' means 'world,' honoring Ferrari's successful four-cylinder sports-racers from the early 1950s.

The Mondial saw Ferrari return to Pininfarina as its choice of styling house, and initially sold as a mid-sized coupe and, eventually, a cabriolet. The previous Bertone-styled Dino 308 GT4 rested on a wheelbase that was four inches shorter than the Mondial, and despite the modest increase, the Mondial offered 2+2 seating. It was designed as a 'more usable' model that catered to a wider audience than the traditional two-seater Ferrari, offering a four-seat configuration coupled with the performance of a mid-range Ferrari. Rather than being built as a monocoque in a conventional way, the Mondial used a lightweight steel box-section space frame clothed with a steel outer body produced by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti, located just down the road in nearby Modena. The interior was fitted with British Connolly leather and a leather-trimmed steering wheel that was adjustable for reach and rake, a first for Ferrari. Standard equipment included air-conditioning, central door locking, remote control mirrors, and a power antenna. Cars that were destined for the US market received optional power sunroof. Styling features included a short nose, a long rear section, and hidden headlights. Full-width groves went across the grill section and grilled air intakes stood to the rear of the doors.

The Mondial was the first Ferrari to use a detachable steel sub-frame to carry the entire engine, gearbox, and rear suspension assembly. This allowed for easier engine removal (i.e. for a major engine overhaul, rebuild, or cylinder head removal) than on earlier models.

Ferrari Mondial 3.4 T
The Ferrari Mondial 3.4 (3405cc) T was introduced in 1989 and was the final version of the Mondial. The 'T' was a reference to the new transmission and engine layout that mounted the engine longitudinally with the gearbox transverse (forming a T), a characteristic of their Formula 1 '312T' which had just won the 1989 World Championship. This configuration would become the standard for all future mid-engine Ferrari V8 models beginning with the 348 and continuing through to the 360.

The Ferrari Mondial t became available in the United States beginning in late 1989. The Mondial t, in both Coupe and Cabriolet form, was powered by a dual-overhead-cam 'vee' type eight-cylinder engine that displaced 208 cubic inches and offered 300 horsepower. The engine was fitted with a Bosch Motronic 2.5 port fuel injection system that took advantage of the 10.4:1 engine compression and 95 octane no-lead fuel, and drove through a five-speed manual transmission fitted in the rear transaxle. This was the same engine found in the 348 series.

Performance was impressive, racing from zero-to-sixty in just 6.5 seconds with top speed achieved at nearly 160 mph. The Mondial had a switch that offered a soft, medium, or hard ride. At all four corners were anti-lock brakes and this was the first Ferrari to feature a rack-and-pinion steering setup.

The Mondial t wore fenders that were no longer flared and the bodyside air intakes had a less diagonal shape at the rear. The sloping nose retained the horizontal vents and pop-up rectangular headlights, and the door handles were now body color and flush fitting. In the back were the familiar four exhaust pipes and round tail lamps. The instrument panel was redesigned with five round gauges positioned in front of the driver, and the air conditioning system could now be adjusted separately for the passenger and driver.

Mondial Production
Production of the Ferrari Mondial 8 lasted from 1980 through 1982 with 703 examples produced, followed by the Mondial QV of 1983 and continuing through 1985, with 1,145 coupes and 629 cabriolets built. The Mondial 3.2 was built from 1986 through 1988 with 987 coupes and 810 cabriolets. The final Mondial was the Mondial t of 1988 through 1993, with 858 coupes and 1,017 cabriolets built.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012